


early bird gets the worm

by SnorkleShit



Series: I thought of angels (choking on their halos) [10]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Cardin Winchester is a Faunus, Cardin is so fucking awkward, Coffee solves all problems, Faunus!Cardin, Lock Picking, Multi, but cute, everything is awkward
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-30
Updated: 2015-06-30
Packaged: 2018-04-07 00:47:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4243095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SnorkleShit/pseuds/SnorkleShit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cardin and Ren ask Team RWBY to help them when they find themselves in a bind, and Cardin is just completely flummoxed by this entire situation.</p>
            </blockquote>





	early bird gets the worm

**Author's Note:**

> SOUNDTRACK:
> 
> http://8tracks.com/snorkletuckington/letting-people-down-is-my-thing-baby

“Wakey wakey, eggs and bakey! It’s morning, it’s morning, it’s moooorrrnnniinnngg!” Nora’s voice ripped through the haze of sleep, and Cardin jerked awake to see her standing over him in excitement. He rubbed his eyes and swallowed thickly, a bad taste in his mouth. She offered a hand to help him up, and he took it. She hoisted him up with so much causal strength he stumbled, but caught himself from falling over.  
Jaune sat up in bed, groaning, then looked at the clock. Which said 5:06 A.M. Then Jaune turned to stare at Nora as Pyrrha sat up. Ren was already fully dressed, standing next to Nora.

“Guys, the sun isn’t even up yet, what the hell?” Jaune asked.

“Cardin still doesn’t have a shirt to wear under his armor. He will be forced to walk back to his dorm and retrieve clothes shirtless, and I thought that might be less awkward if no one was up yet.” Ren stated simply. Cardin blinked, staring at him as his groggy mind caught up with the situation. That was...really smart. And considerate. He had no idea how to feel about it.

“Oh. Good point, Ren!” Jaune said, nodding. Cardin nodded along with him, slightly dumbstruck.

“Uh, thank you.” He said, which earned a look from Ren he did not understand. 

“I’ll go with you.” He said, and turned towards the door. Nora hopped up and down.

“I’ll come to!” She exclaimed in excitement, voice so loud it made Jaune wince.

“Nora, I already told you no, this is the kind of task that requires silence. There’s a candy stash at the bottom of my foot bunk, go crazy.” He told her. Nora’s eyes widened and she whipped to stare at Ren’s bunk. 

“Here, just take your armor with you and change when you get to your dorm. You can give my pants back anytime.” Jaune said, standing and grabbing a bag, and shoving his armor from the trunk to the bag before handing it to Cardin.

Cardin took his armor and slung the bag over his shoulder, and hesitantly followed Ren through the door and down the hall. No one was awake, so it was eerily silent. Having the quiet boy along with him made it doubly so. 

“So, are you and Nora….?” Cardin cleared his throat and waved his hand, hoping to make small talk.  
Ren didn’t turn to look at him, just kept looking ahead. “No, we’re just friends. We have been since we were young. Why, are you interested in her?” He asked.  
Cardin blanched slightly, and shook his head. “Oh, god, no, just wondering. Not that I wouldn’t- she’s nice, I mean- you know what I mean.” Fuck, he forgot he was horrible at small talk.

Ren nodded. “Yes, you’re interests lie elsewhere, I understand. Although, Nora does seem to like you. Which I would be grateful for, if I where you. Before all this happened she was rather intent on breaking your legs.” 

Cardin glanced at him. “My legs?”

Ren nodded, voice casual if they were simply discussing the weather, and not horribly injuring him. Cardin looked away, shrugging.

“I don’t blame her.” 

“No, I doubt you do. You seem to be extremely self aware.” Ren commented.

Cardin huffed an ironic laugh. “I wish.” 

“We all wish for self understanding. For some it is.... harder to attain than others. This is your dorm, right?” Ren stopped in front of a door. Cardin halted as well, blinking. He’d almost forgot why they were walking. 

“Uh, yeah.” He said, and reached to turn the handle, bracing himself to face team CRDL. Only to find the door was locked. He frowned.

“They would never lock the door, unless…” He muttered. He set the bag of armor down and pulled out his scroll, spreading it to full length. One message from Russell.

_We’re gonna go hit the town all day, good luck without us, asshole!_

Cardin snarled, snapping the scroll closed. “ _Fuck._ They’re skipping. We have a huge training exercise today, and they know it, and it’s gonna be my fault, I’m the leader...assholes…that Glynda chick already hates me!” He shoved his scroll back away and balled his hands into fists, anger taking hold.

“And you still need clothes, and we don’t have much time before people start waking up. Do you know how to pick locks, do you have the key?” Ren asked, voice still detached.

“No, I left it, goddamnit...can _you_ pick locks?” He asked.

Ren shook his head, and reached to pull out his own scroll. “No, but I know someone who might.” He said, and started to type on the screen.  
\---------------

A beeping caused Blake to stir in her sleep, ears flicking towards the sound. She rolled over in bed and reached to pick her scroll off the nightstand.

“Who is it?” Ruby asked, poking her head over the side of the bed to look across the room at Blake. 

Blake glared at the screen. “It’s Ren. He’s never messaged me before. He wants to know if I can pick a lock.” 

 

“I didn’t know that guy knew how to use his scroll.” Yang yawned, sitting up in the bunk above her. 

“Will you all go back to sleep, we still have an hour. Tell him to keep his criminal activities to himself.” Wiess hissed. 

“He says that- wow, that’s a full paragraph, how did he type it that fast?” Blake said, squinting at the message board on her screen. Yang leaned over her bunk to look down at her scroll,

“Damn, I think that’s the most he’s ever said at once.” Yang commented.

“Ohhh, what did he say?” Ruby asked.

“He said ‘Cardin stayed the night in our dorm, but his clothes were ruined, so he had to sleep shirtless. We left early to go back to the CRDL dorm to get him clothes so no one would see his scars, but his team skipped school and locked him out. Assistance would be appreciated before the throbbing vein in Cardin’s forehead explodes.’” Blake read aloud, voice monotone and unamused. 

 

Yang snickered. “Oh, this is rich, i’m totally going.”

Blake sighed and swung her feet over the side of the bed. “I suppose I should help.”

Ruby hopped down from her bunk. “Ohh, an adventure!”

Weiss stood up, and put her hands on her hips. “This hardly counts as an adventure, this is pure ludacrisy. Why should we be helping that jerk, he’s done nothing but reject all of everyone’s help before.”

“People are screwed up sometimes, Weiss. But they’re still people.” Yang said.

Weiss balled her hands into fists. “No! People like him, bullies and abusers, they never change!” She snapped, something deep trembling in her voice. “No matter how much you wish they would!”

The atmosphere seemed to shift. 

“I agree, sometimes people are beyond help. But Cardin has proved to be...very complex. People’s pasts are important, but they don’t define their futures.” Blake replied.

“Yeah, shouldn’t we give him the benefit of the doubt? Jaune really seems to believe in him, and Jaune’s the one he hurt the most!” Ruby pointed out optimistically. 

Weiss huffed, before sighing. “Fine, let’s go before people start getting up.”

\-----------

 

Ren nodded, and tucked his scroll away. “She said they’re coming.” 

Cardin stiffened. “ _They?_ Like, all of them?”

 

Ren shrugged. “Team RWBY has a tendency to travel in a pack, yes.”

Cardin ran a hand through his hair. “Fuck.”

Ren raised an eyebrow. “I suggest, instead of feeling awkward and guilty, you focus on being grateful.” 

Cardin didn’t respond, but took a deep breath. He picked up the bag of armor and slung it over his shoulder. “Does, uh, does this cover the scars?” He asked, trying to sound as casual as possible. 

“No, it doesn’t.” Ren responded. Cardin bit the inside of his lip and set the bag down again, and turned to press his back to the wall and crossed his arms, as if he where just leaning against it normally. Ren didn’t comment, and they waited in silence. Finally, Team RWBY rounded the corner, and came to stand with them. Blake went straight for the door.

“Nice abs, dude.” Yang greeted, and slugged him on the shoulder. He flashed his best smile and hoped it wasn’t sarcastic looking.

“Uh, thanks. For helping out.” He said, the words coming out of his mouth halted.

“Of course! It was rude of your team to leave you, instead of talking.” Ruby said.

Cardin grimaced, and looked down. “No, I kinda deserve it. Besides, i’m not the talking type.” 

“That’s plain to see.” Weiss said, her arms crossed as she looked him up and down. The contempt in her voice made Cardin’s jaw clench. 

“Weiss, be nice…” Ruby said softly.

“Why should I? He’s never been nice to us.” She huffed, flipping her ponytail. Yang turned to say something, at the same time Ruby opened her mouth, but he cut them both off.

“I’m sorry.” He blurted out, voice hoarse. This caused everyone to look at him.

“Are you really? Or are you just saying that?” Weiss demanded. 

“I am. Really. Completely. You have no fucking _idea_. I don’t know why you all seem to think i’m even worth arguing over, but, I-” He had no idea what he should say, what he wanted to say, but the door popping open cut him off. Blake stood and stepped back.

“There you go.” She said.

“Thank you.” He told her, and turned to pick up his armor. He stepped into the door, and realized very well that they were all probably staring at his back. He swallowed the shame and turned his head back. 

“You can all come in, if you want, i’ll make coffee.” He offered. That was a good way to repay them, right? They had lots of coffee.

The others came in and sat on the two beds toe the left, and he quickly got dressed. Once he had pants and a shirt on, he started the coffee before going back and beginning to strap on his armor. 

“Oh, shit…” He cursed as he pulled out the back part of his breastplate, which was dented. He’d forgotten about it.

“Here, let me see! I’m best with weapons, but I know my way around armor to!” Ruby insisted, hopping up. He handed her the dented metal piece, and she inspected it with keen eyes before spinning towards the others. 

“Yang, I need you to get mad and heat this up. Ren, do you think you can pressurize you’re aura on a small scale?” She asked. 

Cardin watched as they worked, Yang blasting the metal with fire till it heated up, and Ren moving slowly as the light gathered in his hands before brushing his fingertips over the inside of the metal, which popped back into the proper curve. Ruby handed the plate back to him.

“Yang kinda singed your ceiling, and it doesn’t look perfect, but it’s functional. You can take it to the forge and fix it up better whenever you want.” She said happily. Cardin nodded, pulling it on and tightening all the straps in place. 

“Thank you. So, uh, who all wants some of this coffee?”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
